The standard "ASTM D4151-23 Standard Test Method for Flammability of Blankets" published by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) describes a test method for identifying blanket fabrics that ignite readily and spread flame along their surface. This test method incorporates the procedures described in the voluntary blanket flammability standard that has been used by the United States blanket industry for many years.
This standard is used to measure and describe the response of materials, products or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions, but it does not contain all the factors required to assess the fire hazard or fire risk of materials, products or assemblies under actual fire conditions.
This test method is not the same as the regulation “16 CFR Part 1610 Flammability of Apparel Textiles.” Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations require fabrics offered for sale in commerce to meet the requirements of 16 CFR Part 1610.
Fire testing is inherently hazardous. Adequate safety precautions for personnel and property should be used when conducting these tests. This standard is not intended to address all safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
For the purposes of this standard, the terms blanket, flammability, and ignition are relevant to this standard. For terms relating to the combustion behavior of textiles, refer to ASTM D4391-18 “Standard terminology for the combustion behavior of textiles”. Additionally, for definitions related to textiles, refer to “ASTM D123-01 Standard terminology for textiles” and “AATCC M11 Glossary of standard terminology”, and for terminology related to fire issues other than the combustion behavior of textiles, refer to “ASTM E176-21 Standard terminology for fire standards” and “ISO 13943 Fire safety – Vocabulary”.
In applying the test, samples cut from the blanket fabric are prepared by brushing and drying if they have a raised fiber surface. The dried sample is held in a special apparatus, a standard flame is applied to the surface for a specified time under controlled conditions, and the burning, charring or discoloration of a paper monitor is noted. Two classes of flammability are defined. A burning of sufficient intensity to change the color of a paper monitor in specified contact with the surface of the test sample indicates that the blanket surface is ignited.
This test method for determining the flammability of blankets is considered satisfactory for acceptance testing of commercial blanket shipments because this test method has been widely used in the trade for acceptance testing.
This test method is intended to evaluate fabrics used in electric blankets without resistance heating wires.
Fabrics are potentially flammable. When used in blankets, some fabrics are potentially hazardous to the user depending on the ease, speed and intensity of ignition. This test method addresses some of these properties.
The basic equipment used in these tests is the flammability tester described in ASTM D1230-22. The test chamber of this device shall be equipped with a system that controls the time the flame impinges on the specimen to 1 s plus/minus 0,05 s. This system shall have an adjustable electronic timer that controls the burner solenoid to activate the burner mechanism and an electronic counter that is started by a switch that is activated by the burner mechanism when the burner is in the flame impingement position on the specimen and stopped when the burner is withdrawn from the specimen.
An electronic or mechanical timer or equivalent should be used to record burn time, and electromechanical devices (i.e. servo motors, solenoids, microswitches, and electronic controls and circuits, as well as various custom-made cams and rods, shock absorbing linkages, and various other electronic or mechanical components) should be used to control and implement flame impingement.
The following equipment is also used in the tests:
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